Fresh START for city's young artists

Young artists London Heir and Ashleigh Baxter prepare to open the new START student art gallery.Megan Masters

LONDON Heir is no stranger to having her artworks hung alongside some of Toowoomba's finest artists, but that's nothing like the excitement she feels at having a new art space dedicated to the city's youth.

She and five other local high school students downed artistic tools last week and picked up rollers and brushes to prepare the new, dedicated START - Student Art Toowoomba space.

London said the new gallery and art space was the brainchild of Raygun Labs co-director Tarn McLean and would involve visual artists and performers.

Their first exhibition has opened to coincide with the Carnival of Flowers.

It includes works by visual artists Rory Adams, Luke Doherty, Ashleigh Baxter and London Heir, as well as performing arts students Jack Lightfoot and Harry Paroz.

Ms McLean appears somewhat bemused by the gratitude shown by the group, firmly stating that all she has done is facilitate something that the students are really driving.

"They're doing the mission plan and making goals for success," she said.

"They're planning its culture and the parameters of that culture to decide what they want individually, collectively and for the broader younger community in Toowoomba."

Despite her modesty on the matter, Ms McLean has been working in a mentor capacity to teach the students about running and curating the space as well as organising the lease and other things the students would have little hope of managing on their own.

They decided that Carnival of Flowers time would be perfect to run an exhibition. For more information and to keep up-to-date, search for START - Student Art Toowoomba on Facebook.